Slow-Starting Lynwood Speeds Past Saddleback

For eight minutes on Tuesday night, they put on a above-the-rim basketball show.

Top-seeded Lynwood High School started slowly in the first half against Saddleback, then busted loose for 20 third-quarter points. Lynwood then held on for a 63-52 victory over the host Roadrunners at Century High School in the Southern Section 5-AA division quarterfinals.

Saddleback took a 28-27 halftime lead after Andre McFarlane made a jump shot with five seconds remaining in the half.

The lead was short-lived, however.

“Against the really good teams, you can’t give up a five- or six-basket run,” said Saddleback Coach Pat Quinn, whose Roadrunners finished the season 18-12. “If you do that, you’re in real trouble.”

Quinn’s fears became reality when Lynwood guard Wonel Irby sparked an eight-point run with a fast-break layup to start the second half.

Lynwood went on a 10-point run later in the quarter. During the stretch, Lynwood’s Earnest Killum, one of the state’s top high school players, made a dunk to punctuate a three-on-two break.

The 6-foot-4 Killum finished with 33 points--three above his season average--on 12-of-21 shooting. His all-around game also featured two three-point baskets, 11 rebounds and four dunks.

The Knights (29-1), whose only loss this season was an 82-74 preseason defeat to Dunbar of Washington D.C., were outscored 13-9 in the first quarter.

Much of that was due to the outside shooting of McFarlane, who led Saddleback with 18 points. Senior guard Liem Nguyen scored 11 points off the bench for the Roadrunners, including three three-pointers in the final quarter.

“It was just a matter of getting into a style we were comfortable with,” Lynwood Coach Bill Notley said. “After the half, we relaxed and played the type of game we were capable of playing.”

Irby scored 13 points for Lynwood, and guard Mike Singleton added nine assists. Juaquin Hawkins, Lynwood’s center, finished with eight points and seven rebounds.